An appellate court has ruled that a sweeping Los Angeles County criminal justice reform initiative known as Measure J is constitutional, potentially paving the way for millions of dollars to be invested in social services and a host of community-based jail diversion programs.
The supervisors voted in July 2020 to place Measure J on the ballot when those pleas were amplified, and made politically safer to address, after a national outcry over the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota and similar killings of unarmed Black people by law enforcement.approved the November 2020 ballot measure.
But, on Friday, the 2nd District Court of Appeal reversed Strobel’s decision, holding that the California Constitution allows counties to implement such budgeting strategies into their charters. L.A. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who co-chaired the Re-Imagine L.A. County campaign, was cheering and overwhelmed with joy when called for comment.
Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn said in a statement that “the voters of L.A. County made it clear they want us to spend more money keeping people out of jail, and this appeals court has upheld their wishes.” Hsieh said it’s hard to discern whether those funding changes have affected the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department in part because the agency remains deeply understaffed with deputies working hundreds of hours in overtime. The supervisors have failed to train and hire new deputies, he said.
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